How the calculator works
The old rule is cords per thousand square feet, set by climate. We start there and then correct for the things that actually change the number: how much of your heat comes from wood, how tight the house is, how efficient the stove is, and how much heat is in the wood you burn.
An 1,800-square-foot house in north Georgia heated mostly with an EPA stove burning mixed hardwood needs about 2.7 cords. The same house in Vermont needs more than 6. Switch to seasoned oak and both numbers drop about 12 percent, because a cord of oak carries more heat than a cord of mixed wood.
Cords per 1,000 square feet by region
| Region | Primary heat | Supplemental |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast and Gulf | 1–2 cords | ½–1 cord |
| Mid-Atlantic, lower Midwest | 2–3 cords | 1–1½ cords |
| Northeast, upper Midwest | 3–4 cords | 1½–2 cords |
| Far north and mountain West | 4–5 cords | 2 cords |
What a cord actually is
A full cord is a stack 4 feet high, 4 feet deep and 8 feet long: 128 cubic feet, about 85 of it solid wood. A "face cord," "rick" or "rack" is one row of that stack, 4 by 8, and its depth is however long the pieces are cut. With 16-inch firewood a face cord is one third of a full cord. Sellers who quote a "cord" of 16-inch wood for a suspiciously low price are often selling a face cord. Ask for the stacked dimensions, then use the stack converter above.
Heat in a cord, by species
Seasoned hardwood at 20 percent moisture, millions of BTU per full cord.
| Species | Million BTU / cord | Compared to mixed hardwood |
|---|---|---|
| Hickory, black locust, osage orange | 27–30 | burns 25–40% longer |
| White oak, red oak, sugar maple, beech | 24–26 | burns 15–20% longer |
| Ash, red maple, black walnut | 20–21 | about the same |
| Cherry, elm, sycamore | 18–20 | 10% shorter |
| Southern yellow pine, fir | 15–17 | 25% shorter |
| Poplar, sweetgum, cottonwood, willow | 12–14 | 40% shorter |
Seasoning changes everything
Green wood is nearly half water by weight. Burning it spends a third of its heat boiling that water off and sends the rest up the chimney as creosote. Oak needs 12 to 24 months split and stacked off the ground; softer hardwoods and pine 6 to 12. A $20 moisture meter tells you where a split stands: under 20 percent is ready. If you are buying "seasoned" wood in October, assume it is not, and buy next winter's wood this year.
Frequently asked
How many cords of wood do I need for winter?
Most homes heated primarily with wood burn 3 to 5 cords a season. In the Southeast, 1 to 2 cords per 1,000 square feet; in the North, 3 to 4. Supplemental burners need about half that.
How much wood is a face cord?
One third of a full cord when the pieces are cut 16 inches long: a stack 4 feet high by 8 feet long by 16 inches deep. A 12-inch face cord is a quarter cord.
How long does a cord of wood last?
Burning as primary heat in a cold climate, about a month. As supplemental evening heat in a mild climate, a full season. Most families with an EPA stove in the mid-South get 6 to 8 weeks of steady heating per cord.
How much does a cord of firewood cost?
In 2026, $200 to $350 delivered for seasoned mixed hardwood in most of the country, more near big cities and in the Northeast, less in rural areas with lots of timber. A face cord usually sells for $80 to $130.
How many pickup loads are in a cord?
A standard half-ton pickup with an 8-foot bed holds about a third of a cord stacked level, a bit more heaped. Three full loads is roughly one cord.